There are now two interesting election law bills pending in the New Mexico legislature. HB 79 would let independent voters vote in partisan primaries. SB 100 would legalize fusion. Thanks to Rick Lass for this news.
There are now two interesting election law bills pending in the New Mexico legislature. HB 79 would let independent voters vote in partisan primaries. SB 100 would legalize fusion. Thanks to Rick Lass for this news.
Boy, it would be nice to have both of those options everywhere.
Was Fusion ever legal in New Mexico? It was one of the states added after states started banning the practice, so it might not have been, do you know?
New Mexico didn’t have government-printed ballots until 1917. It was one of the last states to have government-printed ballots. So fusion was legal before 1917. When there are no government-printed ballots, the government has no ability to stop two parties from jointly nominating the same people.
“When there are no government-printed ballots, the government has no ability to stop two parties from jointly nominating the same people.”
Nor, to stop anyone from running for office. With current technology, there is no reason to stop people from printing their own ballots, if the state just makes a standard, character readable format available on-line to anyone.
Fusion is no good. The only way for vote counters to obtain pure proportional representation is by allowing any name on the ballot but only once.
When you try to have the name on one ballot twice there is no way to attain pure proportional representation.
No way to fusion voing. Only one way to go. Pure proportional representation (PPR).
ANNOUNCEMENT
By James Ogle [One]
1/24/2021
Arizona Libertarian Party Elects Multiple Winner State Officer Districts
AZLP State Convention Libertarian Party board members elected on 1/23/2021:
Chairwoman – Emily S. Goldberg
1st Vice Chairman – Barry Hess
2nd Vice Chairman – Lauren Marie Snyder
Secretary – Alex Flores
Assistant Secretary – David Howman
Treasurer – Robert Allen Pepiton
Assistant Treasurer – Sarah Riggle
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Chair = three-winner district
Secretary = two-winner district
Treasurer = two-winner district
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Note: While the exact voting system used is not known by this author, it appears that the state executive board seats were elected in multiple winner election districts, of two to three names per district.
The ideal way, for the lowest Droop Quota threshold for each of seven seats, is for all seven seats to be elected at-large simultaneously, with a threshold of 1/8th (or 12.5%) plus one vote for each name.
Droop Quota thresholds for two and three winner election districts could have been 33.33% and 25% plus one vote each for the three and two-winner election districts, or as low as 12.5% plus one vote for all seven of the seats elected simultaneously on one ballot.
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